Chapter Six

== BE THE CRYPTIC CHARACTER WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE ACTUAL AUTHOR OF THIS STORY

You are now the author and you are politely demanding your readers to listen to a song while reading the rest of the following.

This is the song: "Tonight You Belong to Me" by Patience and Prudence.

== ?

I know, an echo.

you belong

To somebody new

But tonight

You belong to me, the last line lingers through the air. Everything is bright. The music is happy. The slow, merry tune rings through the atmosphere, making you feel light and airy – you feel like you're floating. You don't know where you are. But you don't really mind.

Although, another echo.

we're apart

You are a part of my heart

But tonight

You belong to me. You make a pleased sound in the back of your throat and the edges of your mouth are slothfully pulled up into a crooked grin. Such a nice song.

Wait down by the stream

How sweet it will seem. You're outside, and you amusingly acknowledge how the song is going along with your surroundings. Like it's telling the story of everything you are seeing.

Once more just to dream in

The moonlight. It's night. But everything is so…luminous. Like every color of every thing has it's own kind of light. You take a second to admire a butterfly that passes through your vision. It pulsates fluorescent yellows and oranges and leaves behind a vague trail of its colors in the sky.

My honey I know

With the dawn

That you will be gone. You hear tortured screams pierce the air, distorting the nice tune you were really starting to enjoy.

But tonight - they're getting louder and more desperate. You innocently tilt your head to the side in confusion. Who is screaming?

You belong to me. You need to find them. So you can tell them to stop. They're ruining the song.

Way down, way down by the stream

How very, very sweet it will seem

Once more just to dream

in the silvery moonlight. Before you can try finding the source of the agonizing cries – they abruptly discontinue. You look around, trying to spot who it was. You want to thank them for their consideration.

My honey, I know

With the dawn,

you will be gone.

But tonight – you look down at yourself suddenly.

You belong – you lift your hands – they are gray.

To me – and they are lathered in carmine.

Just to little old me.

== GAMZEE. WAKE UP.

You blink. You carefully stand up. You are outside by The Creak. You do not recall walking outside or falling asleep. You don't even remember being tired.

You instinctively look down at your hands – they lift up to meet you half way – and they are clear of anything in particular. You are confused. You look around, and notice that it's daytime and that you are alone. At least you believe you are alone, until you hear some rustling behind you. You turn around.

You see Karkat dazedly walking out of the brush. He stops when he sees you.

You feel your eyebrows furrow together, perplexed. Where did he come from?

Looking over your shoulder, you see the distant outline of the house behind you – nowhere near from where Karkat had emerged. You open your dry mouth to question him, but only manage to croak. Karkat's eyebrows furrow as well. He's picked up his pace as he walks towards you and stops inches away from your body.

"Gamzee?" he questions, voice barely above a breathy whisper.

What is he trying to ask you? Why wasn't he in the house? Why are you outside? Why don't you know where he was? Why weren't you with him?

You're breathing quickly now; panicking. Your vision is getting blurry. You feel a soft hand on your chest, and you look down to see Karkat staring at you worriedly. Why is he worried about you? This isn't about you. You aren't important. He is.

== BE THE IMPORTANT GUY

You are now Karkat Vantas and you don't remember how you got outside or what you are doing out here. You lost yourself for a while, you believe. But then you were snapped out of your limbo by a familiar sight: Gamzee.

Why is he out here too? He seems just as confused as you as he tries to speak – he fails. You move closer and closer to him until your nose is almost brushing against his chest. You don't know why you decided to stand so near. You just know that you like it.

You try to speak – you succeed. Oh no. He looks flustered and it's scaring you. Why is he not okay? You swiftly lift a small hand and lay it gently on his chest. You want to comfort him, but all you end up doing (or so it seems) is confusing him even more.

== BE THE ONLY GUY IN THE HOUSE

You are now Dave Strider and you have just woken up from an unfulfilling sleep. You're pretty sure you had a weird dream, but it wasn't important enough for the author to write about. You're also pretty sure that you are alone in the house, considering the lack of ambiance. You can feel your alone-ness. And you feel pretty pathetic. Well.

So. You decide to figure out where the other two you are currently living with are. Actually…more importantly, where the hell is Karkat? You freeze. Now you're worried.

You run through the house, going through stupid door after stupid door, trying to find the door that will get you outside. You don't realize you've found it until you are no longer indoors. As soon as you've gone through your mini revelation and let your sensitive eyes adjust to the morning sun, you spot Gamzee's figure standing a good few yards away from the house, near The Creak. This is also when you notice another short figure practically flush against him; Karkat.

Hah. No. Stop.

You're sudden disgust at their position gains you enough confidence to shout, "Aye!"

They both look at you briskly. Karkat looks shocked that you're here. And Gamzee…you're not sure. But his vacant eyes are not very reassuring to you. You actually wish he would start growling and glaring at you like before. Then, he does something terrifying.

With eyes still vacant, he smiles at you.